Just noticed that the Guild are doing demos at the middlesex show this weekend.

Its only a 3min walk up the road from my house.

Just wondering if anyone else is going?

Demos and competitions, go along and introduce yourself to Roland, I am sure he will make you welcome, should be a decent show of ironwork there.

Thanks John,

The best stand at the show and some very impressive work on display.

They even let me have a go, and entered my attempt in the competition.

Next time I will go prepared.

Thanks for that Bob, I thought you might enjoy the experience, our guild members try to make people welcome. Hope to see you at other events in the future. How did you fare in the competition?

Well you could say my work was definitly in the top eight - or in the bottom 4.

It is pretty rough and was not suprisingly the least impressive thing on the table. I didn't ask if it got any votes, but I'd like to think it didn't look too out of place from a distance.

I leaned not to underestimate how significant a difference using someone elses tools makes. It was like having to learn how to hold a hammer again. - which I am still doing with the ones Im familiar with.

Thanks to Gary in particular, who was there keeping an eye on me, offering advice - and catching various tools as they fell off the anvil!

Well done Bob, it is not easy with strange tools, strange forge and the public (strange people) looking on. Ten out of ten for the effort of attempting it, and another ten out of ten for making something recognisable.

However, I will have to correct you on your terminology,

Its not 'rough'

The term is "Rustic";)